European Rehabilitation and Cultural Week of The Deafblind 2010

Hosted by “the Association of the Deafblind in Baden-Württemberg (Germany)” and the “diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart – pastoral care for deafblind people”

Dear Friends,

We are able to confirm that the 12th European Deafblind Holiday will be arranged in Germany!

Welcome!

This is a warm invitation to all deafblind people who live in Europe, to participate at the 12th European Rehabilitation and Cultural week of the Deafblind. This week will be arranged in Tübingen, near Stuttgart in the south of Germany.

Where?

“Tübingen is an enticing and dynamic Swabian city of culture! It’s 5 miles southwest of Stuttgart Airport/Trade Fair, with about 90,000 inhabitants and 23,000 students. Since its founding in 1477, the university has shaped the character, formed the appearance and brought life to the Universitaetsstadt Tübingen. The university hospitals not only employ many people but also attract patients and visitors from far and near.”

News from the Secretary and Secretariat

Since Senses Foundation took over the Secretariat position in 2008 we have been busy following up actions and implementing new systems to streamline the work we do for DbI. Outlined below are the main focus areas of our work since we last reported to you in the July 2009 DbI Review.

The Secretariat was pleased to support the hosts of the DbI 7th European Conference 2009 by circulating announcements, encouraging participation and promoting the conference programme to the worldwide community. DbI members, past and present as well as the delegates who attended the DbI 14th World Conference in Perth were contacted regularly to keep them informed of the conference activities and planning progress.

It was a pleasure and a privilege to attend the Conference in Senigallia. We were proud to host the DbI booth at the conference and enjoyed the opportunity to meet some of our members in person and welcome new members face to face. Aside from the world class conference program and social events, it was a delight to enjoy and experience the wonder of Senigallia. With its beautiful cobble stoned streets and walled city with Roman statues; fountains and piazzas everywhere, it was quite a change of scene from our Australian landscape and culture.

Prior to the conference, the Management Committee and Council held meetings to report on progress achieved and to make some significant decisions for DbI. The key topics of discussion at the Council meeting were the new DbI constitution; the new DbI Strategic Plan; forthcoming conferences including the 15th World Conference in 2011 and the next European conference in 2013 along with a number of smaller ones in other parts of the world; and receiving reports from DbI’s many committees throughout the world. At the Extraordinary General Assembly, the new Constitution was ratified.

Earlier in the year, the hosts in India sadly had to withdraw from organization of the DbI World Conference in 2011. There were several reasons for this: growing concern for civilian safety in India and the financial strain caused by the global economic crisis. Following this news, a call for Expressions of Interest was sent to DbI’s extensive database inviting organizations to submit an application to become the new host. From the applications received, Council ratified Brazil as the new host and we are delighted to be working with them in the lead up to what is sure to be a spectacular event. As preparations unfold we will share the developments with members through regular email communication. Council also ratifiedFrance as the next host of the 2013 DbI European Conference. Congratulations to both host countries.

Following the meetings in Senigallia we will be working hard to complete the actions from the Matters Arising. Already some of these actions have been progressed successfully and documents have been updated to reflect the extensive work that has been done by everyone.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank DbI President William Green for his unwavering support in the lead up to the ManCom & Council meetings. His assistance in making arrangements for travel, transfers and accommodation requirements made the journey to Senigallia a smooth and pleasant experience.

The Management Committee will next meet in Sao Paulo, Brazil in February 2010. Preparations for this meeting are already underway and a meeting with the local planning committee for the 15th World Conference will take place there to assist the local hosts with their conference planning processes. ManCom will take this opportunity to tour the proposed conference venue and facilities.

Membership

Thank you to all members who renewed their membership this year and we extend a warm welcome to our new members. Earlier in the year, a DbI pin was designed and produced. We will be pleased to send members a pin at the time of each membership renewal. Early in 2010, members whose membership has expired will receive an invitation to renew. We hope you are in a position to continue your partnership with DbI and encourage members to keep in regular contact with the Secretariat so we can continue to grow and improve DbI’s membership. Please remember to alert us of any changes to your contact details, including email addresses.

If you would like an update on the status of your membership please contact the Secretariat on secretariat@deafblindinternational.org.

Website

The website continues to be an excellent source of information and we aim to keep the information up to date and interesting in liaison with the Information Officer. We are excited to be moving into a new phase in 2010 which will transform the way we operate. By moving towards more of an E-function we will evolve and aspire to be a great website. We encourage all members to provide regular updates on the work you are involved with so we can keep the website accurate and help spread the word about the important work and progress we are making in the field of deafblindness.

Thank you

Thank you to you all for the ongoing support this year. We await 2010 with a bright outlook and a real desire to make positive improvements for DbI in our role as Secretariat.
Elvira Edwards,
Bronte Pyett